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News-Leader

That's just a fraction of the 7,000 houses lost in Joplin after the devastating May 22 tornado. But local residents say it's a step in the right direction.

"As far as I'm concerned, having these seven houses is a good start to getting people wanting to buy lots to restart here," said Charlie Kuehn Sr., a volunteer from Baxter.

Kuehn was one of the many volunteers who showed up Wednesday at the filming location for ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" program. It was the most ambitious project yet for the show.

Joplin firefighter Kyle Howard and his family members were the first to yell the magic phrase Wednesday morning.

"Move that bus!" they bellowed in unison.

With that, the vehicle rolled forward and revealed a two-story home with a stone facade. A crowd of fans and local supporters joined an already-large army of volunteers like Kuehn to cheer on the Howard family throughout the event.

Howard was working when the storm hit and wasn't able to make it home for several hours afterward. That was an admirable act to some area residents.

"I guess it takes a lot of guts," Kuehn said.

The early morning event was broadcast live on ABC's "Good Morning America" program. Several people held signs with slogans that showed the town's commitment to rebuild.

And while community support was important for a lot of folks, so was getting a peek at TV show host Ty Pennington and the other cast members. People waited for hours after the initial event for a quick photo of Pennington and company.

Later in the day, the remaining six houses were revealed. Each home was designed to meet the tastes and needs of each family. One has a traditional, Midwestern farmhouse appearance. Another has a modern design with angular roof lines jutting out at various places. The houses vary from 1,300 to 1,700 square feet of livable interior space.

Kuehn's son, also named Charlie, owns one of the firms that shares responsibility for supervising the build.

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Continued recovery

The houses sit on a hill overlooking a swath of damage left after the EF5 tornado. The storm killed 162 people.

In the distance, the battered remains of St. John's Regional Medical Center can be seen.

Shelley Alexander, a hospital employee, came out to watch as Howard's home was unveiled. She said it was a good start to the project because Howard was working at the time of the storm.

"It may rip apart Joplin, but it didn't take our heart," said Alexander, a Joplin resident.

Alexander said she plans to volunteer with a project planned by the Tulsa, Okla., chapter of Habitat for Humanity later this year. The group intends to build 10 homes in 16 days.

Alexander said she thinks it could take five years for Joplin to fully recover.

Carthage resident Cathy White came to town for medical checkups. She found it hard to comprehend all the damage left after the storm.

"I just cried every time I came to Joplin," she said.

White, a California native who is retired, said she volunteered on the build and may volunteer again on the Habitat project.

"I'm OK with a hammer and a saw," she said.

Cooperative build

For members of the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield, the filming has been a test of logistics and cooperation.

Sam Clifton, the owner of Millstone Homes in Nixa, is supervising the project. But a number of other local Springfield builders also have been enlisted, said Charlyce Ruth, operations manager for the builders association.

"If one house gets a little behind, they'd go over and help them," she said.

Ruth said the builders group was involved indirectly in another "Extreme Makeover" project in Ash Grove, also supervised by Clifton. But that was much different.

"At that time, it seemed really busy, but it was just one house," she said.

Ruth said she's dealt with nearly 10,000 volunteers for the Joplin project. Some of those people will be needed today and Friday as things move into the cleanup phase.

The Joplin episode will be the show's 200th broadcast show. It's slated to run in early 2012.